Can a Video Game Help Teens’ Mental Health?
The game was linked to a 1.12-point drop in depression scores one year later and a more positive attitude toward seeking care, researchers said.
- Dartmouth researchers developed PlaySmart, a gamified tool that demonstrated a modest reduction in depression and ADHD symptoms for adolescents through interactive scenarios normalizing healthy decision-making.
- Growing demand for pediatric mental health care has outpaced provider availability, leaving families struggling to secure professional services for their children despite urgent need.
- The Johns Hopkins University research team analyzed 27 randomized clinical trials, finding interventions effectively improved attention and decreased sadness among adolescent participants.
- Associate Professor Joseph McGuire said these interventions serve as "nice first steps" for pediatricians when patients face long waits for individual therapy.
- While benefits remain modest, researchers suggest these games provide scalable, accessible tools to help address the rising need for child mental health support.
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48 Articles
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Specially designed video games may benefit mental health of children and teenagers
Scientists conclude that some video games created as mental health interventions can be helpful -- if modest -- tools in improving the mental well-being of children and teens with anxiety, depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
A research team at Dartmouth University in the United States has proven the effectiveness of the educational video game PlaySmart for preventing adolescent depression. It is drawing attention that high school students who played the game for one hour a week for six weeks showed reduced depressive symptoms one year later compared to a group that played regular games.
A clinical trial with 532 high school students has shown that educational video games can be a very effective tool for treating and preventing depression in adolescents.The entry Educational video games can be an effective solution against adolescent depression was first published in Digital Process.
Prevention-focused video games may reduce depression among teenagers, study
A Video Game Designed for Mental Health Reduced Teen Depression Symptoms for a Full Year A video game created to teach teenagers how to recognize depression, respond to substance-use risks and seek help has produced measurable mental-health benefits that persisted for a year after play ended. In a randomized clinical trial involving 532 high school students, those who played the digital behavioral-health game PlaySmart reported significantly few…
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